A Ghanaian-American fibre optics inventor, Dr. Thomas Mensah, has officially launched the Silicon Valley of Ghana at the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT (GI-KACE) in Accra on January 15, 2018. The Silicon Valley of Ghana is under the Ministry of Communications and the Ministry of Science and Technology.
Dr. Mensah, the founder and chairman of the Silicon Valley of Ghana chose GI-KACE as the venue for the launch because “it is packed with the brainpower to support the Silicon Valley of Ghana in bridging the technology gap of the country,” he said.
As the Board chairman of the Silicon Valley of Ghana, the renowned inventor disclosed that membership of the Board included Ghanaian expatriates in the diaspora who are desirous in the technological advancement of the development of Ghana.
Among the Board of Advisors Dr. Mensah disclosed are Dr. Victor Lawrence (Stevens University), Dr. Michael Ansah (VP Dell UK), Dr. Isaiah Blankson (Hypersonic Expert, NASA), Prof. Obiri Danso (Vice chancellor KNUST), Prof. Gabriel Ayum Teye (Vice Chancellor UDS), Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, (Vice Chancellor UCC), Dr. Frimpong Boateng (Minister Science and Innovation), Mr. Alan Kyeremanteng (Minister Trade and Industry), Cecilia Dapaah (Minister for Aviation), Mr. Osafo Marfo (Senior minister), Mrs. Ursula Owusu Ekuful (Minister for Communications), Fernando Hernandez (Microsoft), Robert Bobby Satcher (Astronaut) and Mr. Kwasi Adu-Gyan, Director General of Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence.
The renowned inventor indicated that GI-KACE will be the pivot around which the Silicon Valley of Ghana will revolve, and serves as the link for both the universities and research institutions in Ghana with industrial corporations, Advanced Research Centres and other “Tech giants”.
The innovation and competency Centres which will link up with the GI-KACE, according to Dr. Mensah, include the University of Ghana, the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and technology, University of Development Studies and the University of Cape Coast.
He said the innovation and competency Centres will work with industries and academia to create ICT products and services in Ghana. “We have a lot to do and I think GI-KACE being the technology hub will get us there,” Dr. Mensah noted.
Source: Ghana/StarrFMonline.com/103.5FM
